Biden WH 'tension' to blame for Major getting agitated, dog expert says

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There's a hairy situation brewing at the White House.

High-profile dog experts are speaking out about what they believe is really causing President Biden's dog Major to act out after he reportedly bit two people at the White House in recent weeks, according to a report. 

Cesar Millan, known for the Emmy-nominated television series "Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan," described the White House environment as "a place full of tension." He said the problem doesn't lie with Major, but the situation and people the dog is surrounded by. 

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An aide walks the Bidens' dog Major on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, D.C., on March 29, 2021. (Getty Images)

"It’s not the dog," he told Politico. "What Major is saying is that he doesn’t feel safe yet. And if he doesn’t feel safe, he can’t trust. And if he can’t trust, he can’t feel calm."

Professional dog trainer Larry Krohn said a dog's behavior, whether it's good or bad, is created in the environment that the canine lives in. "Where it spends its time. The people it spends its time with," he said. 

Krohn added that behavior comes out of fear and insecurities, which he said is typical in the German shepherd breed -- like Major, "especially when it’s not a well-bred dog."

"And you can’t punish that out of a dog ... you can’t treat that out of a dog," he said, according to Politico. "You have to change the mindset of the dog to where they feel comfortable and confident in their own skin and they trust the people around them."

The series of biting incidents started in March when Major, 3, sank his teeth into a Secret Service employee, who required attention from the White House medical unit. White House press secretary Jen Psaki referred to that incident as "minor." 

After the first bite occurred, Major and Biden's seemingly less rambunctious, older German Shepherd, Champ, 13, were sent to Wilmington, Delaware, to be looked after by a family friend. They later returned to the White House, reports said. 

During an interview with "Good Morning America," Biden said Major was going home and he "didn't banish him to home."

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"We have a dogsitter there -- a friend who takes him. And -- but you turn a corner and there's -- there's two people I don't know at all. And, you know, and they move -- and he moves to protect. But he is -- he's a sweet dog," Biden said. "Eighty-five percent of the people there love him. He just -- all he does is lick them and wag his tail."

But late last month, Major bit an employee on the White House South Lawn, who then required medical attention.

First lady Jill Biden’s press secretary Michael de Rosa confirmed the "nip" in a statement to Fox News. "Major is still adjusting to his new surroundings and he nipped someone while on a walk. Out of an abundance of caution, the individual was seen by WHMU [White House medical unit] and then returned to work without injury."

CNN first reported the bite, adding the employee worked for the National Park Service. 

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Celebrity animal trainer Joel Silverman referenced Biden's "Good Morning America" interview and suggested that "nobody is looking at this thing from the very beginning as a serious thing." 

"When the dog bites one time, it’s something people need to take a look at," Silverman told Politico. "When you have the owner — I don’t care if you’re the president of the United States or you’re just an average dog trainer like myself — if you are answering a question and blowing off an issue about the biting, that’s a problem. That’s a red flag."

"Ask not what the dog can do for you. Ask what you can do for the dog," Millan added. 

Fox News' Morgan Phillips contributed to this report